USS Density (AM-218) - World War II Pacific Ocean Operations

World War II Pacific Ocean Operations

Density arrived at San Diego, California, 23 September 1944 to serve as a training ship for the Small Craft Training Center at Terminal Island, until 2 February 1945, when she sailed for Pearl Harbor and Ulithi.

Density sortied from Ulithi 19 March 1945 to sweep mines preparatory to the invasion of Okinawa on 1 April. Patrolling off Okinawa for its capture and occupation, Density fired on the enemy in several suicide attacks. On 6 April she splashed several of the kamikaze force which struck the Fleet, then assisted USS Rodman (DMS-21), picking up 16 of her survivors and towing her to Kerama Retto. On the 22nd she splashed an enemy attacker which cleared her bridge by only 10 feet (3 m), then rescued three survivors from stricken USS Isherwood (DD-520) before resuming her patrol. Five days later she recovered the body of an enemy officer from a plane she had downed and thus obtained valuable intelligence material including a secret code book and photographs. While sweeping mines she sank an enemy suicide boat off Naha on 4 May.

Density sailed from Okinawa 4 July to join a group of minesweepers supporting the 3rd Fleet strikes against the Japanese homeland. From 9 August to 28 August she was in San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for brief overhaul, and on 8 September put out from Okinawa to sweep mines in Japanese waters. She remained in the Far East on occupation duty until 20 November when she sailed for the U.S. West Coast, arriving at San Diego, California, 19 December.